NAPA, Calif. -- Sam Adams was more than happy to give up his burgeoning coaching career to get with the Oakland Raiders.

Adams, the two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman who was pursued by several teams as a free agent, agreed to a multiyear deal with the Raiders late Sunday night. He was in Napa on Monday morning as the Raiders held their next-to-last day of training camp workouts.

While his representatives fielded calls from several NFL teams hoping to get a bargain deal this summer, Adams busied himself with the Eastside Hawks, a successful semipro team he owns and coaches in Seattle. But when the Raiders finally offered an attractive deal, Adams was ready.

''This is exactly where I needed to be,'' said Adams, whose black No. 95 jersey still bore folding creases. ''It's the Oakland Raiders. What more do you need to say? I'm glad they gave me a chance.''

Adams, who helped Baltimore win the 2001 Super Bowl after spending his first six NFL seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, was released by the Ravens last spring in the former champions' huge salary purge of several veterans, including new Raiders safety Rod Woodson.

Though he's spent most of the recent weeks worrying about his Hawks, Adams thinks he's fairly close to game shape. He weighed about 340 pounds with Baltimore last season, and he looks about the same size in Oakland's silver uniform pants -- but Adams disagreed.